howard



(No Model.) v

S. H.- HOWARD.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 314,129.l Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

A Qi QM@ Vllhvrrn .Sri-iras STEPHEN HENRY HOWARD, OF TRENTON, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR WELLS 85 SON, OF SAME PLACE.

TO J. I.

STEAM-ENGINE.

,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 31e-,129, dated March 17, 1885.

Application tiled August 1S. 1954.

(No mmh-1.)

VTo @ZZ whom, it may cale-cern,.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN HENRY How- ARD, av citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, ot' which the following is a speciiication.

The object ofmy invention is to dispense with the use of the cross-head and slides used in direct-acting steam and-other engines, and to produce an engine that will run smoothly at a high speed, and to provide for the taking up of the wearof the pitman-joint connectionwith the piston.

The particular improvement which I have made consists in the combinatiomwith the piston, its guide-trunk, and the pitman-rod, of a piston guide-rod constructed and adapted to secure the piston, the guide-trunk, and the pitman-rod together in a firm and durable manner, the said piston guide-rod serving as the means ofclainping the guide-trunk to the pislron, the means of connecting the pitman-rod i lwith the piston,'and the means, in connection with a screw-bolt carried by said guide-rod, whereby the pitman -boXes are adjusted to l take up the Wear of its connection-with the piston. l

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a horizontal section of an engine adapted to take steam at both ends of the cylinder;

Fig. 2, a section ofthe guide-trunk of the piston; Fig. 3, the piston-head in section; Fig.. 4, the pitman-rod in section; Fig. 5, the piston guide-rod and its piston-connections in section, enlarged, Fig. 6, the crank provided with a balance, and Fig. 7 an enlarged sectional detail of the piston, its trunk, and piston-rodconnections.

The cylinder a is adapted, by the usual steam chest, e, and valve connections j, with the crank-shaft g, to take steam at both ends.

i H H is the bed-plate upon which the cylinder is mounted.

B is the piston-head. Thepiston has guides which pass through each head of the cylinder, one of which guides forms a guide-trunk, C, which works through a stuffing-box, N, of the inner cylinder-head, the other guide being a rod, F, which Works through a stuffing-box,

D, of the rear cylinder-head.` The pitman-rod I connects with the wrist-pin L of the crank M, and extends into `the guide-trunk C, the closed end c'of which has a short neck or nipple, G, by which it is clamped againstthe piston'in a manner presently to be stated. The piston-crank connecting-rod has alength about eight times greater than that of the crank, so that there is very little oscillation or side-thrust at thejoini-connection within the guide-trunk, andthe guide-tron k is of sufiicient diameter tov allow the pitinan-rod to work therein, and has a'length suiiicient to allow it to Work in its stuiing-box in the full stroke ot' the piston. The guide-rod F passes the stuffing-box in the closed end of the cylinder through a central opening in the piston and through a central opening in the closed end of the guidetrunk, and its inner end is forked,and adapted to embrace the enlarged end of the pistonrod I,witl1 which it is connected by the jointpin R. By this construction the piston-rod is jointed directly to the guide-rod Wit-hin the closed end of the guide-trunk. An external screw-thread, fn, is formed upon the guiderod to receive a nut, T, which being screwed against the piston serves to clamp it firmly against the nipple G of the guide-trunk. This clamping function of the guide-rod is effected by a shoulder, s, on its divided end, which shoulder, by the action of said screw-nut T, bears against the inner side of the closed end of the guide-trunk, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 This construction gives a firm and durable connection of the piston with its guidetrunk and guide-rod within the cylinder, and

a lock-nut may be used with the nut T to sehead Q whereof lies between the forked ends F ofthe guide-rod,and bears against one section'a of the said joint-boxes, the other box- IGO section being secured by a pin, b, Fig. 5, passing through the forked ends of the guide-rod. This bolt l? has a screwfthread, d, and the guide-rod has an interior serew-thread, g, at its outer end, into which the boltP screws, the end h of the latter being made to receive a Wrench,by which to turn the bolt when adjustrnent ofthe boX a upon the pipe R is necessary. The bolt-head Q is cylindrical, and when screwed in jams the box-section a upon the joint-pin, and is locked, when adjusted, by a lock-nut, V, at its outer end, screwed against the end of the guide-rod. By this means the piston-rod connection with the piston can always be kept tight, and the piston guiderod utilized as the ineans of securing` the pistonrod, the guide-trunk, and the piston together, while serving to carry'the means for taking up the Wear at the piston-rod joint R from the outside of the cylinder.

An oiling-tube, J, on the piston-rod, connects with the piston-joint pin R, and,extend ing outside of thc guide-trunk, has a supplycup, J,Which is provided with a screw-cap.

The crank M nia-y be provided with a bal ance, 7c,.in line with each cranl .-a1m,on the opposite side of the crank,to assist in giving a steady inotion to the crank.

I claini` 1. The combination, with the piston, ofthe piston-rod, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with the cylinder and piston, of the guide-trunk C, the hollow guiderod F,having an internal screw,the piston-rod, and a screwbolt carried by said guide-rod,for adjusting` the joint-pin bearings of the pistonrod, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

3., The combination, with the piston and the cylinder of a steam or other engine, of a hollor guide-rod,F, having an interior and eX- terior screw, the guide-trunk G,the piston-rod I, a screW-bolt,]?,having abearing head,Q,and an angular end, h, and the nuts V T, substantially a herein set forth.

4. The combination, with the piston, of the guide'trunk C,having the closed end c,forrned With the bearing projection G, the guide-rod F, formed With the shoulder s, and the screw n, and the nut T, the said shoulder having a bearing upon the inner side of the closed end of the said guide-t1unk,and the said guide-rod having the joint-connection R with the piston-rod Within the said guide-trunk, as set forth.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

STEPHEN HENRY HOXVARD.

Witnesses:

J. D. CARNE, NV. H. FAIRLEss. 

